Close Gitmo, five secretaries of state say

[flashl]

Source: UPI

ATHENS, Ga., March 28 (UPI) -- Closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, would improve the United States' reputation worldwide, five former secretaries of state said.

The former secretaries -- Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell -- were part of a roundtable discussion at the University of Georgia, offering "bipartisan advice" to the next administration, The Journal-Constitution in Atlanta reported Friday.

"Our image abroad has dropped significantly," said Powell, secretary of state when the prison opened. "Perhaps this administration has spoken a little too harshly in a unilateral way."

The prison's closure would signal "we are now going to go back to our traditional, respected way of dealing with people who have potentially committed crimes," Powell said.

UPI

Read more: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/03/28/close_gitmo_five_secretaries_of_state_say/8589/

[saigon68]

1. No Way--The Chimp and Cheney need this place

They want a place to Torture and "Water board" this guy

And wire up his privates to a little AC current.

[jtrockville]

8. That's why their advice is for the NEXT administration.

I guess they figured there was no reason to give THIS administration advice, since the decider doesn't listen to anything except the voice in his head.

[babylonsister]

2. Rec'd. nt

[fed-up]

3. ending the Occupation would improve our reputation even more nt

[Demeter]

4. Well, That Covers the Spectrum of Opinion Right There

Of course, we all know what Cheney would say!

[Deny and Shred]

5. Prepared to be ignored, former State Secretaries.

Don't you guys know that the Geneva Convention is quaint, the U.S. reputation worldwide is so Old Europe, and bipartisan advice is simply playing into the hands of the terrorists.
Colin Powell said, "Perhaps this administration has spoken a little too harshly in a unilateral way."
Perhaps? Don't go too far out on that limb.
It is good to see an ideological broad spectrum all backing the same sane thinking, for once. Too bad it will never register in the Pentagon or White House.

[Mabus]

6. Meanwhile, Condi shops for shoes and makes a play for VP

I guess she's going after that Maverick image and bucking the consensus of other Secretaries of State. :eyes:

[LeftinOH]

7. ..and how about abandoning the entire base (Gitmo) altogether?

Wasteful, expensive, and -for national defense purposes- completely useless.

[Supersedeas]

9. Condi's legacy

[lumpy]

10. Colin Powell realizes that US image abroad has been

damaged. I'm sure he does. Does he realize that he contributed a great deal to our damaged reputation? And how about Kissinger? He is not exactly an icon of integrity. I have listened to other retired Secretaries of State in the past. When they are out of office they have no problem speaking what might be close to the truth, but by God, most have been complicite in dragging down our image througout the world. Fucking hypocrites.